During the month of November we tend to spend more time reflecting on all the things that we are thankful for, so why not take time to reflect on how thankful you are for those outstanding employees. The ability to show appreciation in monetary ways, through bonuses, can be tricky for public agencies, so the need to be more creative in how we can show our appreciation is very important.

Below are a few ideas that public agencies can implement from what I call the “ASPECT” approach:

Ask - Ask questions about their families, their weekend or a special event in their life. Be sure to be sincere in asking about the employee or it will come across as uncaring or nosey.

Schedule - If flexible scheduling is possible offer it to your employees. Even if it is only for the holidays or summer breaks. This helps employees to balance work and family time and can make for happier more productive employees.

Praise - Identify specific actions where the employee has gone over and above on a task. By picking a specific task, rather than being general in praise, employees will know that the praise is genuine.

Eat - Who doesn’t like food? Surprise your employees with donuts or order pizza for lunch or even a chocolate treat. Schedule lunch with employees and let them pick the restaurant. This could be for the holiday, or even better, for no reason at all.

Cultivate - Cultivate employees and allow them opportunities for growth. If permissible, place employees on boards or committees where their talents can be seen. Allow them to attend professional association meetings and represent your city at civic and charitable events. When your city budgets allow, provide employees as much training as possible. This is a win-win for both the employee and the city. Be certain to discuss the potential for advancement as good employees will want opportunities to grow within the organization.

Thanks - Say thank you. A little kindness goes a long way. Not only during the holiday season, but show your appreciation all year-long.

There are many aspects of employee appreciation, so find one that works for your organization and don’t stop implementing when the holidays are over. For questions on this or other personnel related matters, contact Personnel Services Specialist Andrea Shindlebower.